Rock Songs For Anyone Whose First Crush Became Their Forever

Not many people are lucky enough to spend their lives with their very first crush, but for those who do, rock music makes for a powerful soundtrack to their romantic life. Just as the genre is populated with songs of heartache and longing, some of the best rock songwriters of all time have given us songs that reflect the feeling of undying devotion and the decision to escape into a world made for two. Here are four of the best.

Stretching from the classic rock of the 1960s to the alternative rock of the 1990s, these four tracks all have one thing in common: They reflect that almost spiritual feeling associated with lifelong love. The Beatles may have told us that "all you need is love," but in great songwriting, love is often accompanied by a sense of fragility that comes from the passing of time and the possibility of loss even as you declare your devotion. Even if your "forever person" is no longer in your life, you're sure to recognize the feelings that these four songs evoke.

Widely considered to be among George Harrison's greatest songs, "Something" is the emotional core of "Abbey Road," the last album the Beatles recorded together. Assumed by many to have been written about Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the track was actually far more abstract in its themes; according to Harrison, the song was influenced by his growing sense of spirituality, especially his embrace of Krishna consciousness.

But listening to it now, Harrison's moving ballad can easily be taken as a straightforward love song, with the spiritual aspects of the song taking the form of lyrics that could just as well be directed at the object of one's desire. Indeed, Harrison's narrator tells us that their beloved "attracts me like no other lover."

The song revels in the mystery of that attraction while also being entirely devotional. "I don't want to leave her now," Harrison sings, and as the song reaches no formal conclusion, the effect of prolonged butterflies in the stomach continues even as the figure becomes more familiar.

Oasis is considered one of the more macho acts in 1990s rock, but even in the band's early work there are moments of intimacy and beauty that could serve as the soundtrack to any love affair, from distant crush to lifelong relationship. "Slide Away" is one of the moving high points of the band's classic 1994 debut album "Definitely Maybe," a melodic, grunge-inspired rocker that is an ode to quietly slipping away with your loved one to live your own way together.

"Two of a kind / We'll find a way to do what we've done / Let me be the one who shines with you / And we can slide away," sings frontman Liam Gallagher, instilling his brother Noel's lyrics with a great deal of raw emotion. At the same time, clashing guitars and driving drums create a sense of tension and release, giving you the impression that even if the feelings of the narrator are certain, the outcome isn't. It's simply a stunning song.

The Cure's Robert Smith is responsible for some of the most affecting and achingly romantic indie rock of the last few decades. Among his sprawling discography, there is a good argument to be made that "Just Like Heaven," the goth rock classic from the 1987 album "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me," is his masterpiece.

Written in collaboration with the other members of the Cure, "Just Like Heaven" was inspired by a romantic day at the seaside that Smith enjoyed with his future wife, Mary Poole. Remembering a trip the pair had taken early in their relationship — they met when they were still teenagers — he recalls showing Poole a magic trick and kissing her on the cliffs of Beachy Head in the south of England.

Despite Smith's greatest work being highly romantic, his genius is often to embed these special moments in the prosaic context of everyday life. As anyone who's been in a long-term relationship can attest, not every day can feel like a honeymoon, and "Just Like Heaven" acknowledges this. "The idea is that one night like that is worth 1,000 hours of drudgery," Smith has explained (per Louder).

Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters represented an incredible rebirth for the former Nirvana drummer, whose life was turned upside down by the tragic death of frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994. Things were also falling apart in Grohl's personal life. Around the same time, the multi-instrumentalist was separating from his first wife, whom he would divorce in 1997, and finding himself directionless. However, while Grohl was at his lowest ebb, he began to find love again with Veruca Salt lead singer Louise Post. "Hello, I've waited here for you," the lyrics begin, over the song's breathless, unnerving opening riff.

"Everlong" is a reflection of the combination of vulnerability and hope that characterized Grohl's mental state at the time. Recruiting Post herself to provide backing vocals on the track, Grohl makes it clear that while love can feel timeless, nothing is for certain. "If everything could ever feel this real forever / If anything could ever be this good again," he sings during the chorus. An especially moving work in the Foo Fighters discography (not to mention David Letterman's favorite Foo Fighters song), "Everlong" has come to be regarded as one of the great alt rock love songs of the era.